Observe This
by LadeeBear
Summary: Observation should be an art. These are chapters, each devoted to a character, as they describe their observations about our favorite couple. [DL all the way, baby]
1. The New Girl

**So, this idea just happened to pop into my head while I was doing chores this morning. I thought about how ironic it is that everyone else in the lab can probably see the attraction between Danny and Lindsay, but they can't see it themselves. Which is why I thought it would be funny to write some chapters from various points of view, from Mac's observations to the wittier ones of Hammerback. This first one is written from the standpoint of an OC who is new at the lab, but still quite observant. Let me know what you think of the idea and this first chapter. **

_Disclaimer:_ There are spoilers, so beware. For this chapter, it's only from **2x14 – 2x16. **But there will be references to the rest of season 2 and season 3 coming up. I also own none of CBS, but I do own Lillian. So don't take her…or the lab techs. They're mine too.

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_"Love is not about finding the right person, but creating a right relationship. It's not about how much love you have in the beginning but how much love you build till the end."_

**10:03 am – The Trace Lab**

Now, I know that I may be the "new girl" around here, but seriously – are they as dumb as they appear?

No, that's mean. I shouldn't think that. Alright, let's start over, shall we?

I don't exactly know why they aren't able to see what I am able to see.

Damnit, that was too cryptic. Let me try this one more time.

This is coming to you – whoever _you _are – via the mind of me, Lillian Ashworth. I am a lab rat in the leading crime lab in New York City. I am quite outspoken, with a slight tendency to be sarcastic and obnoxious at times. But I am observant. That's why I work in trace. I am able to analyze little bits and pieces of information in ways that no one else can. Mac Taylor noticed this, and thus, hired me.

And I love my job. Honestly, I do. I love being able to assist these CSIs in catching the criminal, and in solving the pieces of a puzzle.

But really, some people around here just don't get it yet.

Let's focus first on my problem. Or, shall I say, problems.

Their names are Danny Messer and Lindsay Monroe. And speak of the devil; here they come down the hall…

**10: 22 – Still in Trace**

After a nice polite conversation with two of New York's finest detectives, I sent them off towards Sheldon with my results. I'm quite alone now, except for the occasional visits from Adam or Jackie. But nonetheless, let me continue where I left off. Let's start with Danny Messer.

When I first arrived at the lab, some of the techs had given me a little bit of a forewarning about Messer. I was told that if I wanted to keep my heart in one piece, that I would have to avoid falling for the guy. I was also told that I should try and stay on his good side, because he could be kind of a pain in the ass sometimes. Alright, I understood that much. And then they started talking about a certain woman named Lindsay.

"He always calls her Montana," Jackie mentioned in a hushed whisper to the circle of lab tech girls. "I think he's got a crush on her."

Annette scoffed. "As if," she replied cattily. "Do you really think that a hot city boy like him would ever fall for that plain kinda girl. Nuh uh ladies. I have been around this lab for almost three years, and never have I seen Danny fall for any girl besides the tough Staten Islanders."

Kate chimed in. "Well, I heard that he carried her across a rooftop a few months ago."

The women in the circle rolled their eyes, and Brittany spoke up. "That was for an experiment, Kate. It wasn't as if it was flirtatious or anything."

Jackie laughed and the woman looked at her. "Oh, well, you didn't hear the conversation that took place," she remarked cryptically. The women stared Jackie down, and I looked quizzically at my friend.

"Well," Jackie remarked, lowering her voice, "apparently Danny, in one of his smug voices goes 'You promised me drinks for this, but I think I'm gonna need some dinner too.' And then Lindsay goes: 'I'm not gonna give you anything if you don't get going. Make tracks, cowboy.' So, yeah, Brittany – that doesn't sound flirtatious _at all_."

Jackie's triumphant grin wiped the smirks off of the other woman's face. But Brittany wasn't defeated quite yet. "Well, whatever the case, nothing else has happened yet, so as far as I am concerned, Lindsay Monroe is no threat to us."

I let out a little chuckle and the women turned towards me. "What?" Annette scowled. "Did you hear something?"

"Straight from the mouth of Danny Messer, if you must know…"

All of the women perked up. "What? What did he say?"

I grinned. "Apparently, he mentioned to Flack that he had a 'date' at Cozy's with Lindsay a few weeks ago…"

Kate clapped her hands together. "I knew it! You owe me ten bucks Brittany. I called it, and you lost."

Brittany rolled her eyes and rose from the circle in order to throw her Styrofoam cup into the garbage. She flicked her brunette hair over her shoulder and strode out of the room with Annette following close behind. Kate shrugged her shoulders and threw us an 'I'm sorry for my friends being bitches' look before exiting.

Jackie smiled and put an arm on my shoulder. "Here, we better get back to work," she said, rising from her chair. I frowned for a moment.

"If Danny likes Lindsay, and Lindsay likes Danny, then why don't they do anything about it?" I asked, puzzled. Jackie sighed and stared off into the distance before glancing back at me with shining hazel eyes.

"That's the million dollar question kid."

And from then on out, I learned to observe Danny Messer. And to my surprise, whenever Danny and I were in the same room, nothing was uncomfortable. He was a very nice person, not a jerk, as I had been told. He was friendly and charming.

"The Messer men have this charm, ya know?" he had joked once, smiling at me. "We're told that it works on women."

"Maybe you should try it on Lindsay sometime," I mentioned boldly. I smirked as I watched Messer clear his throat and change the subject. Yes, there was something…something happened when Danny and Lindsay were together. He was gentler, sweeter, kinder, and he always had this sparkle to his brilliantly blue eyes.

Flack caught me staring at the pair as they strode down the hall together.

"Keep thinking about why they're not together, and pretty soon, all you'll be is frustrated," he whispered. I turned to face him and shook my head, laughing, as I walked back toward the trace lab.

And here I sit, early morning hours ticking away, as it grows closer to noon. And she's rushing past the window with results in her hand, and a cell phone in the other. I can only catch the frantic look on her face for a moment before I watch her mumble to herself: "No…how could it be _his _DNA?"

I frown and watch her lean against the wall, running a hand through her hair. She takes a deep breath, tears barely visible in her eyes from where I am standing. But I know that they are there. She takes one last deep breath and prepares to face God-knows-what…or God-knows-who…

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****Well, that's Lillian's observation. I'm contemplating who to do next…oh, and if you didn't catch the reference, Lillian is watching Lindsay just before she goes to tell Danny about the DNA results in "Run Silent, Run Deep". **


	2. The Lab Rat

**So, thank you all for reading and reviewing! I am quite excited to see where my muse (her name is now Odina – which means 'divine creative inspiration'. Dude, my muse so totally kicks butt!) takes me, shall we? How about venturing into the world of Adam? Had anyone else completely forgotten that Adam was there when Danny had his gun and badge taken away from him? I had, and thought it would be nice, continuing our sequential order, to have Adam talk about what happened during that time. Okay? Okay! **

_Disclaimer_: There are just spoilers for the rest of "Run Silent, Run Deep". Oh, and the parts in bold that transition the scenes? They're from Switchfoot's "Dare You to Move".

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_"The smile on your face lets me know that you need me, there's a truth in your eyes saying you'll never leave me, the touch of your hand says you will catch me whenever I fall. You say it best when you say nothing at all." – Keith Whitley _

**Welcome to the fallout… **

First off, let's get some things straight. This is _not _under any circumstances, a diary. Think of it as a compilation of mounting evidence that helps me to support a theory.

Okay, so you're _still _thinking that it's a diary, aren't you?

Whatever. At least Lillian doesn't think it's a diary.

_Actually, I DO think it's a diary. _

Well, Lillian, who asked _you_?

_Uh – YOU did. _

Lillian, if you're not going to help me to get all of these thoughts out on paper, at least show me a little bit of respect, please.

_All of you readers can't see this, but I am rolling my eyes right now at Adam, and he is glaring at me. But he knows that I love him, so that's all that matters, right? _

Sure.

_So, have you written down anything important about today yet? _

Uh, Lillian – I was _kind of _trying to do just that before you came in here.

_Oh. Oops. _

I was about to tell you what happened today.

_You were about to tell ME, or the readers? _

Could you forget about the dia –

_You were just about to call it a diary! (Again, readers, you can not see this, but right now I am laughing and pointing at Adam.) _

LILLIAN!

_Sorry. (Except not) Please, do enlighten me. _

You know, I can still read everything that you are writing down on this paper…

_I know. It's fun this way. Like passing notes back and forth in high school. But tell me what happened today. Danny seemed really out of sorts and there have been rumors flying around about the Duty Captain coming here and taking Danny's badge and gun away… _

I sigh sadly, and place the pen down. "Actually," I inform my surprised companion, "the rumors are true."

Lillian's hands fly over her mouth. "No freaking way. How did that happen?"

I sigh again, and begin to explain…

**Welcome to existence… **

Stories had begun to fly around the lab the second that the case had been linked with Tanglewood. Annette had rushed in earlier in the morning with Brittany and Kate in tow. The three were practically inseparable from one another, and I had to laugh at the idea of women needing a flock of other women to follow them around.

"Did you hear?" Brittany asked, trotting into the room, white lab coat billowing behind her. The other two young women entered the room and each took a seat. I frowned in concentration.

"I hear a lot of things, Brittany, including voices, but I'm not about to believe anything that _they _tell me to do…"

"Not voices, idiot," Annette scathingly replied. I raised my eyebrows at her harsh tone of voice. "Did you hear about the case that the CSIs are working?"

"Well, as far as I know, there are _two _cases that they are working…"

"The one about…" Kate began with bright blue eyes growing wider, "Tanglewood," she finished, barely above a whisper. Her eyes were glazed with a mix of fear and anticipation, while the other women simply looked intrigued.

I rolled my eyes. "And do you think that I am the official CSI know-it-all?"

Annette rolled her eyes in reply. "You're the best that we've got as far as information goes, Adam. You see them more than _we_ do."

I laughed. "Well, maybe you should consider ditching the AV Lab and joining the party in Trace. But other than the fact that I _just _got notified about the case having anything to do with Tanglewood from you all, I can't be much of assistance."

The three women appeared disheartened, and left me to do my work. Shortly thereafter, I was instructed by Mac to conduct a facial reconstruction of the skull in the end zone of the Giants stadium, which meant that I was greeted initially by a very smug looking Annette.

"So, the party's up in _Trace_ right?"

"Shut up, Annie," I replied, using her dreaded nickname for emphasis. She glared at me. "I was sent down here by Mac because he needed me to do a facial reconstruction."

Annette motioned towards the dual-camera wand with a graceful little bow. "By all means, Mr. Ross, be my guest." I was able to reconstruct the face without issue, but the only problem was that the face was – well – _nameless._ Mac instructed me to attempt to locate the person through various databases, which I began the process of doing.

And I was taking a walk through the lab when I noticed Flack, Lindsay, and Hawkes standing outside of an office, looking in through the window with pained expressions on their faces. I paused in between Hawkes and Lindsay and did a metal double-take.

Mac was inside with Danny and the Duty Captain.

_This can't be good_, I thought grimly. Flack appeared calm on the exterior, but I could only imagine that he was thinking the same thing I was. Hawkes was the same. But Lindsay…what was _she _thinking?

We stood in complete silence and watched our friend's badge and gun stripped from him. I could only stare blankly through the window, as if I was watching a dream unfold. I was silently thanking God that Annette or the other women hadn't been around to witness such an event take place.

But then, Danny turned and started at us through the glass. I first thought that he was going to say something. It _looked _like he was about to say something. But instead of making eye contact with all of us, he singled out one person in particular.

_Her_.

It was obvious to everyone in the lab, I am sure, that they had a…thing. And I use the term 'thing' loosely, because I doubt that I have ever seen Danny as interested in a woman as he is with his ' Montana'.

I would say that she is the Yin to his Yang (or is it the other way around?) but that would sound quite cheesy. But, in all honesty, if even a lab rat like me can see it, then why can't _they_? I just don't get it. I watch them, sometimes; when they come in from field work, as they walk side-by-side down the hallway, laughing or flirting as they always tend to do. I watch her face grow jealous when other women try and flirt with him, and it's quite amusing to watch Danny's "secretive" jealousy when Lindsay becomes the center of another man's affections.

It's a shame that they don't notice what most of us lab techs see – the chemistry, for lack of a better term. It's a pun, I know, and it's sort of hilarious when you stop and think about it. The fact of the matter is that _they _are the ones paid to solve crimes and piece together evidence, yet _they _are too dumb to not notice the attraction between them.

But when he looked at her, there was something deep and stirring behind his blue eyes. It was almost as if he was pleading with her, almost as if he felt that he let her down. He was disappointed, not in himself, but for letting _her _down. He didn't need to say anything to her to covey that, because I watched Lindsay's solemn face grow into one of determination. She knew that he was innocent of whatever accusation was mounted against him – and Lindsay was the kind of woman who would fight to prove that she was correct.

In shame, he adverted his eyes from hers, but her gaze remained steadfast, until Flack's hand on her shoulder guided her off down the hallway. She stopped once, and looked over her shoulder at Danny as he exited the office with Mac and the Duty Captain. I watched her gather herself together and hold her head up higher. I knew the look in her eyes. _I'm going to prove that you are innocent, because I know you are_, she promised from behind chocolate orbs.

Hawkes and I stared at each other before the other man nodded curtly and headed off in the direction that Danny had gone. I stood, for a moment longer, and attempted to process what had just occurred before I too gathered my thoughts and walked back towards Trace.

**I dare you to move… **

_Wow. I didn't know what had happened. I can't believe that Danny had to go through all of that… _

"Oh my goodness," Lillian remarked suddenly, covering her mouth with the palm of her hand. "I saw Lindsay today with DNA results in her hand. She looked absolutely terrified, and she had her cell phone in her other hand…"

The light bulb clicked. "Danny's DNA was found on a cigarette butt in the endzone…"

"…and _Lindsay _was the one who ran the DNA sample," Lillian finished with wide slate eyes. She gaped at me for a moment and then whispered softly. "That must have been so hard for her."

I nodded. "And when we were outside of the office…"

"…he was pretty much pleading with her to not think any less of him, but I'll bet that he was disappointed in the fact that he let her down."

I frowned. "But he didn't let her down, Lillian…"

"Ah," Lillian interrupted as she jabbed at me with her finger, "but he _thinks _that he let her down."

"True," I muttered. I pondered Lindsay's gaze for a moment, before replying. "I guess then Lindsay's eyes tell us everything – she left determined to prove that Danny was innocent, no matter what."

Lillian nodded and smiled. "They really care about each other, don't they?" she asked bemused. I smiled and nodded.

"Yeah, yeah, they really do."

Lillian pulled herself up from off of the chair and motioned towards the door. "Well, I should go see what everyone else is up to…"

I let out a fake cough. "Yeah, just – uh – feel free to stop by any time…"

Lillian smiled, a faint blush creeping up her pale cheeks. "I think I'll be seeing some more of you sometime." Lillian paused by the door. "Or, at least I _hope _I'll be seeing more of you sometime."

I smiled and watched her leave. I stared at the piece of paper and laughed. There was a forced cough heard from the door frame and I looked up to see Hawkes standing there, an amused look etched upon his face. I looked from Hawkes to the book that I had been writing in and then back again before hastily placing the book atop a pile of papers.

"I was just – uh – yeah, you know…getting ready to head home for the night…"

Hawkes raised an eyebrow. "Uh, sure – I think I'll go see what Jackie has for me," he replied gesturing across the hall. He turned his back and then stopped before turning around.

"Was that a _diary_?"

"For God's sakes, it is NOT A DIARY!"

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**Well, I hope you enjoyed Adam's little take on things. I thought it best to start incorporating multiple characters' observations each chapter. So, next chapter might have a bit of Adam in it…you never know where Odina is going to take me! Haha. Next chapter brings us to "All Access", and probably the perspective of another OC…or Stella. I might use her. Who knows? Just keep those comments rolling! THANK YOU GUYS! (smiles) **


	3. The Intern

**Hey everyone! I hope you are enjoying these little narrations from various characters. So, without further ado, we plunge further into the lives of Danny and Lindsay. Let's see here, we are on "All Access" right now (_obviously the disclaimer is that there are spoilers for this episode_), and will follow an OC around for a little bit. She's a nervous and jittery intern for one of the detectives, but still (as is customary with everyone in this narrative) is observant as to what Danny and Lindsay are doing. Please enjoy and be sure to comment your little hearts out! **

_Disclaimer: Obviously spoilers for 2x21, "All Access". Uhm, other than that, I do not own anything that you recognize, and own all of what you don't. I own Rosalind. Don't take her – please and thank you! _

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_"Love sees with the heart and not with mind." – William Shakespeare_

**And so begins the tale of the endless afternoon:**

As if I wasn't nervous enough, the crime lab was even _more_ insanely fast-paced and busy today than usual, I was told. What a way to begin an internship, let me tell you. Not only did I almost spill coffee all over myself in the break room, but I nearly ran over half a dozen people, barreling through in attempt to find some woman named Lillian in the Trace Lab…and of course, I had absolutely _no idea _where in the world the Trace Lab was.

In my pursuit of this girl named Lillian, I nearly ran over a tech named Aaron…or was it Adam?...anyway, he had bright red hair, and was pretty nice to me. Well, sort of.

"You trying to outrun a horse there kid?" Adam (or was it Aaron?) asked with a sarcastic smirk. I stared at him, wide-eyed, and pulled a sheet of paper out of my pocket.

"I'm supposed to find a girl named Lillian," I mumbled breathlessly. Adam's (I'll just stick to calling him that) face softened into a genuine smile and he took pity on me, and led me off down the hallway.

"Is it always this busy in here?" I asked meekly. Adam nodded.

"Yeah, but today is even crazier for some reason. Something big happened…a case with Kid Rock or something like that…"

My dark eyes widened further, and my mouth formed a little "Oh", as we continued down the hallway, passing brilliantly lit rooms with people bustling and solving crimes. My eyes lingered over a pair in one of the rooms for a moment. The man was reading something over the woman's shoulder as she wrote things down on a piece of paper. He nodded as she talked, and never took his eyes off of her. I tilted my head to the side. The man looked pretty cute, I had to admit. He had sandy hair and glasses – but they didn't make him look nerdy at all. And the woman and he seemed to be close. If they weren't dating, I at least suspected that, by their body language, they _would _be dating eventually.

Adam's self-satisfied smirk as I fell into step with him gave me the feeling that he knew all about the pair as well. "Danny Messer and Lindsay Monroe, are…" Adam stopped abruptly as he turned around to face me. "…they're…" he gestured with his hands, "…they're complicated people," he concluded, moving his hands back down to his side. I raised my eyebrows, and didn't say anything, partially out of fear of sounding like a naïve little girl. After all, I was still a "newbie" to the lab, and I wasn't the kind of person who was bold enough to stick her nose in other people's business –

"Lillian? You in here?"

A young woman with shining eyes and strawberry blonde hair looked up from where she was apparently analyzing some bit of trace. She smiled welcomingly at Adam and glanced quizzically at me, slate eyes scanning my face.

"Lillian, this is…" Adam turned to me with an apologetic smile. "Uh, I'm sorry, I guess I was dumb enough to forget to ask your name…"

I smiled shyly. "My name's Rosalind Edgewater," I answered with a polite nod at Lillian. The other woman took the latex glove off of her hand and shook my hand warmly.

"It's a pleasure to meet you," she said with a sweet smile. "What can I do for you?"

I pulled a piece of paper out of my pocket. "I was told by Detective Maka to give that to you…"

The woman took the piece of paper graciously and nodded after reading it over. She bit her lip and turned her back, walking towards a filing cabinet. Leafing through the various files, she pulled a folder out and attached a post-it note to it.

"Tell Maka that everything that she needs should be in there," Lillian remarked, handing the folder to me. I nodded and thanked the woman allowing her to continue working, and Adam ushered me out into the hallway. He stared at me for a moment.

"Well, I hate to abandon you, but I need to get back to work now," he began slowly. He sensed my jittery attitude, and – again – took pity upon me.

I nodded. "I understand. Thank you so much for your help."

Adam smiled, and began to walk down the hallway. He paused and looked over his shoulder. "Good luck kiddo. You'll do fine." And with that, he walked off down the hallway. I stared at his retreating back and then at the folder in my hands and followed the path that Adam had just taken, mentally preparing myself for a long day of work.

**A brief interlude for some reflection:**

Now, I know that I am just the new intern at the lab, but I swear to you all that something is going on with those two CSIs, Danny and Lindsay, I think their names were…anyway, I could tell today, through random encounters with them, that there was something different – a spark of sorts, perhaps, that ignited between them. And I could tell this by a few different things.

The body language.

When I made my way back to the crowded bullpen, I found Detective Kaile Maka looking quite somber and concerned as she stood talking with an older man, who seemed to be of some importance in the lab. Walking over hesitantly, I stood a few feet away from the pair, twiddling my thumbs. Maka looked over at me and noted the folder in my hand.

"…I just can't believe it…Stella…is she going to be alright?"

The man nodded. "Yeah, Flack's with her now, taking her statement and…just know…trying to sort this all out with her…try and discern truth from fiction, so maybe we can figure out what happened…" The man adverted his gaze from Maka's and found mine. He had cold, penetrating eyes, and soft lines on his face. But behind his eyes, I saw the concern and the fear that lay dormant. He quickly dropped his gaze and fixed it on the sunlight streaming through the lab's windows instead.

"Well, if there is anything I can do for you Mac, just let me know," Maka responded softly, patting the other Detective on the arm in an awkwardly sympathetic gesture. Mac merely nodded at Maka and straightened himself in order to appear taller – in control – and walked down the hallway in the direction that I had just come. Maka shook her head sadly and seemed to notice me for the first time.

"Did you find Lillian?" she prompted with a raise of her eyebrows. I nodded mutely and held out the folder to her, and she walked down the hall, absentmindedly reading it. I followed shortly behind her and she paused to talk to one of the lab techs who was scurrying around the lab. Maka was chatting away, and I stared listlessly around the lab, and finally my eyes settled on the duo that I had spotted earlier: Danny and Lindsay.

This time, I could see their backs through a room, and they were both staring fixedly at a computer screen. Lindsay was looking over Danny's shoulder at something, and I could have sworn that I heard her say "kinkajou"…but I quite possibly could have been mistaken, because honestly – how often does _that _word come up in a conversation? What fascinated me most about the pair was their body language. The two were close enough so that the curls of her hair were brushing up against his shoulder. They were talking, and angled towards each other. I frowned at the recollection of Adam's remark. _"They're…complicated._" What did _that _mean? From all that I could tell from observing them, they appeared to be completely comfortable in each other's presence. Maybe Adam was wrong…or was I just reading too much into Danny and Lindsay?

I must have been zoning out, because Detective Maka waved her hand in front of my face with a bemused grin. "Rose…you alright?"

I perked up at the mention of my nickname and nodded my head as Danny and Lindsay exited the room they had been in. "Yeah, sure…I was just thinking."

Maka studied me for a moment before ushering me down the hallway, and explaining where she was taking me out on assignment. She wanted me to watch and observe the processes and procedures involved with becoming a Detective.

All I could do was nod and follow her out into the radiant afternoon sunlight.

**And so continues the endless afternoon:**

The buzz in the lab when Detective Maka and I returned consisted of two major stories. The first was that, apparently, the CSI team was investigating a death at a Kid Rock concert, and Detective Mac Taylor was currently questioning the rock star. Or, at least, that is what the women in the lab's break room had mentioned. The second wave of gossip that had spread like embers was that one of the detectives – Stella Bonasera – had been attacked by her boyfriend and was in the hospital. I twirled a strand of dark curly hair around my finger as I sipped a cup of coffee and watched the bustle of CSIs and techs pass by the break room window.

All of my life, I was the shy girl – the one that barely spoke, and when she did, it was barely above a whisper. I was labeled as delicate, fragile, and was treated as such. I never really had a best friend, and was too much of an introvert to really make a close circle of friends. I spent a lot of time alone – in private places to think, or with my nose buried in some Shakespearean sonnet or one of Donne's poems or a book of Greek mythology. I was the kind of person who people talked to, but didn't expect a conversation out of; the kind of woman who paralleled Alice, stuck in her own little Wonderland.

But, despite my shyness, I wanted to be a Detective. I had often been told that I had a soothing voice, which held passion and desire, and strangely forcefulness all at the same time.

"_You have the voice of the sea, Rosalind. When the sea speaks, everyone pauses to listen to what it has to say. The sea commands respect from all who hear its songs, and yet, the sea soothes and calms, and enlightens all those who are careful enough to listen to its music."_

I smiled to myself. My father had told me that. Yawning, I rose up out of my chair and threw the Styrofoam cup into the trashcan, before sitting down again. I had wanted to be a Detective in order to serve justice, and to protect innocence.

"_Innocence dies far too young. You – my soft rose – you can protect these people. You can make a difference in lives. I believe in you, and will always believe in you."_

My father had been a Detective, and so had his father before him. When my brother died at the young age of ten from a rare brain tumor, I thought that my father would have lost all hope in the family name. But he turned to me, his one and only daughter, for comfort and for assurance.

"_You aren't doing this just for me, are you?" my father asked me on the day that I told him I would be devoted to becoming a Detective. I shook my head and knelt down beside his chair._

"_Papa, I am not doing this for you…I'm doing it for me."_

And so there it began; in my young years…I vowed to forever protect lives. I suppose that I always knew that I wanted to do something that made a difference. I bet that no one would have ever pegged me for trying to become a Detective though…

Detective Maka poked her head into the break room, and my thoughts, like rolling clouds, settled off and gathered somewhere in the west. The woman smiled, possibly amused at the young girl – in her young twenties – sitting at the break room table. _She can belong_, thought Maka as she smiled. _She can fit in here._ The Detective waved her hand and tucked a loose strand of silky dark hair behind her ears.

"Could you do me a favor and run to my desk for a moment. I believe that I left that darn manila folder on there that Lillian gave you this morning. When you get that, check in the top right hand drawer of my desk, and my steno notepad should be in there. After that, we have to make one more stop before I let you observe your first interrogation," she replied casually. I nodded and smiled at the woman.

"I'll do that for you," I replied with a nod, and headed off into the direction of the bullpen. To say that the room was sheer chaos would be an understatement. There were men and women, witnesses and possible suspects alike who were having their statements taken. I pulled the folder off of Maka's desk, and rummaged around in a drawer for a moment, before finding the notepad she had mentioned. I walked out, in an attempt to leave the room, when I was nearly _barreled_ down by someone in a blue shirt…ironic? I guess the circle of karma came around to bite me in the ass. And then, I nearly got barreled over _a second time _by someone in a brown jacket. Okay, so the circle of karma must have _really _hated me…

"_Montana! Hey – "_

My eyes curiously followed the figure of Danny Messer as he trotted out of the bullpen after a fuming Lindsay Monroe. _"Hey, this guy's about to fold. Ease up, ease up." _Puzzled, I decided to walk out and head back towards where I knew Maka was probably waiting for me. But, Danny and Lindsay were blocking my exit, so I stood in the shadow behind the doorway and watched the duo. Danny had chased after Lindsay and reached for her arm, attempting to stop her from going any further. Lindsay, however, pushed her arm away from Danny's grasp and looked at him with fiery eyes.

"_You know what Danny? Maybe you should just handle this case by yourself, okay?" she snapped. _

Instead of snapping back at his partner, Danny closed his eyes for a moment and looked at Lindsay sympathetically, and spoke softly in a low soothing voice until Lindsay met his eyes.

"_Mac is handling Stella's situation, alright. If he needs us, he'll let us know. But until then…"_

I watched Lindsay's eyes force back tears and she looked away from Danny, fearful of him seeing her in an emotionally helpless state. _"I just wish there was something we could do to help," she replied with a hopeless little gesture of her hands, and a saddened look in her dark eyes._

Danny, unwavering, held his gaze fast on Lindsay and still spoke in the soothing tone of voice that seemed to calm Lindsay down. _"You know what Stella would say? What we could do to help the most, is close this Russo case. Alright?"_

Lindsay nodded curtly, arms crossed in front of her chest, creating a boundary between her and Danny. The man was continuing to hold his blue eyes on the woman in front of him. It was a sympathetic gaze, not one of anger for her storming out, or one of disapproval. He merely allowed the woman to vent her anger and frustration out to him, and he, like a sponge, absorbed and retained the brunt of her frustrations. She had let her guard down, only for him. And I wondered why…

Danny gave her a nod and jerked his head slightly in the direction down the hallway. Lindsay, arms still crossed in front of her chest, merely nodded and followed him down the hallway. I peered out into the desolate hallway and sighed, stepping out of the shadows.

Adam was right when he said that they were complicated.

**Well, there you have it! This will be the last perspective of an OC for a while, probably. I hope you enjoyed them. Do you like how each chapter builds upon the previous ones? See, because this one had Lillian AND Adam in it…next one will be narrated by…well, if you think about "Heroes", think about who I might have narrate it…and it will have: Lillian, Adam, AND Rosalind in it, plus the narrator for that chapter. I really like writing different characters, as each character is totally unique. Lillian is bold, Adam is crazy, Rosalind is shy, etc. etc. But they ALL observe DL. Woot. Okay, so comment please? That would make me happy!**


	4. The Dead One

**Observe this – you are now dead, and are watching those you love mourn over you. What would you say to comfort them? Could you really say anything at all? How would you handle death? Well, Aiden Burn is about to sort out all aspects of her death. So, prepare yourself for the next chapter of 'Observe This'! Please, please, read and review – I want to know what you all think.**

_Disclaimer: Well, I don't own any angels that you may encounter in this…LOL. I also don't own the entire cast of CSI:NY (darn). In reading this, I assume that you have seen the episode "Heroes" and everything up until that point. I will also include my own little versions of maybe what happened in between episodes (coughDLcough). Haha. Enjoy!_

_Thanks to SallyJ for being so nice as to help me out with the Aiden personality. I hope I nailed her. And, I hope you thoroughly enjoy Danny's guardian angel. Teehee._

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_The trouble with quotes about death is that 99.999 percent of them are made by people who are still alive. -- Joshua Bruns_

I still get a kick out of that quote, every time I read it. Which, when you stop and think about it, is quite ironic, considering the fact that I _am _indeed, dead.

Oh, I can see you look at me with a question in your eyes. And here is my answer to you: yes, I _have _accepted the fact that I am dead. And I am actually doing alright. Being dead isn't too bad. Sure, I don't have some of the things that I had before, and yeah, I _do _miss people from time to time – but, listen, here's the secret: I can still visit them anytime that I want to.

There is nothing in he – alright, the Big Guy doesn't like me using that phrase, so, there is nothing in _heck _that could ever stop me from being with the people that I love.

Sound gushy enough for ya?

Good, because up here it is the Land of Mushy and Gushy. And yours truly is now the Princess of Mushy and Gushy.

…I think I just choked on all of that gushy-ness.

The name is Aiden, and if you think that for a second I am a hero, I will smack you upside the head. Nothing that I did in life was ever heroic, so get that through your head. I don't call myself a hero, but I know that you all down there do. Yeah, Messer, I'm talkin' to you too. You all down there think that I am hero, and ya toast to my life, and essentially, to my death. But, first of all, it was _my _fault that Pratt walked the first time. It was _my _fault that I got fired from the lab. And it was _my _own stupidity that landed me in a fiery car. Yeah, it was to help out a girl who I thought that Pratt was gonna prey on, but it was _my _fault that he was still out there in the first place.

"Aiden, how many times must I tell you this? Darling, it was not your fault. You are much too hard on yourself. It's that thick New York head of yours."

I turn around now and see Gabriella, the one woman who, for some reason, understood me better than I understood myself. She had been dead for a while, you see, having passed away in the late 1800's. Her blonde hair was swooped up in a dainty little bun and she, like me, wore a flowing white dress. I rolled my eyes at the woman.

"You don't know the half of it, Gabby," I replied. I tended to like assigning nicknames to people. Don't ask why, because, honestly – I have no idea. This whole being dead thing really changes your personality in a way. Gabriella merely smiled her perfect smile and shook her head before stretching her hand out to me.

"Come, dear Aiden. There is someone whom you must meet."

I raised my eyebrow quizzically, and before I could make any form of sarcastic remark, I was led away by the blonde-haired angel. While we were walking – uh, _floating_, I guess ya could say – Gabriella talked happily, nearly chirping. She reminded me of a bird sometimes – ya know, the kind that, even though it may be really pretty, you just want to shoot it anyway. Or, maybe that's just the cynical side of me again. There aren't many cynical people up here, and sometimes my personality is my only company. Ironic, I guess. You die alone, and you live alone for all of eternity. Maybe Gabriella died with final words. I died with a bite mark on an arm rest. That was my mark for all of eternity, the thing that set me apart from all of those other perky little angels up here – I died doing the one thing that I loved more than anything – solving puzzles. And I provided the team with the final piece.

"Aiden, dear, I would like to introduce you to someone very dear to me. She is one of my greatest acquaintances up here, and she has been eager to meet you for…eternities," Gabriella said, adding a little giggle as she discovered the humor in her own pun. The blonde woman motioned towards a gold mansion with an elegant wrap-around porch, complete with swing. I gaped. My mansion paled in comparison to whomever's _this _was.

And when the woman who resided in the mansion stepped out onto her front porch and waved a welcoming hand, I nearly died – again.

"Oh my Go – "

Gabrielle gave me a stern elbow in the ribs. I frowned at her and corrected myself. "Oh my _gosh_," I replied. The woman standing in front of me was beautiful, no doubt. She had dark hair and was about my height. But it was her eyes that captured me, and her eyes that reminded me of who she was.

"You're Claire Taylor," I whispered. The woman nodded and smiled.

"Yes, yes I am," she said in a sweet whisper, before ushering both Gabrielle and me into the mansion. "And you," she said with the same melodic air to her voice, "are Detective Aiden Burn – a young woman whom I have been quite _dying _to meet," Claire replied. Unlike Gabriella's pun, Claire's seemed, well, _funny _somehow. Or maybe it was just the way that her face lit up as she smiled, or how her eyes danced as she talked.

I smiled politely back at her, and rubbed the back of my neck. "Yeah, I'm her. Nothin' really special though, so…"

Claire clucked her tongue and shook her head. "Oh no, my dear," she replied sweetly, "you are _far _too special to even describe. I know what you have done for those you love, even if no one else does. You see, I've watched you from up here. And The Father has watched you as well. That is why He was so pleased with you."

I raised my eyebrows. "The Big Guy is pleased with…_me_? But why? I didn't do too much good in life. I mean, I was an okay person, I guess. But I messed up. I wasn't like Gabby over here or anythin'…"

Gabriella shook her head and shared a knowing glance with Claire. "Aiden, you are quite new here," Gabriella began, ushering me to have a seat next to her and Claire on a couch, "and you don't understand how Our Father sees."

I frowned. "Naw, I guess I don't understand."

Claire took my hand and explained. "What you did in your last minutes on earth truly count in eternity. Gabriella here, died because she caught pneumonia. But she caught pneumonia from children she was attempting to save."

I stared at Gabriella, who had a small smile on her face. "I was the only nurse within three miles of my town. I was the children's only hope."

I raised my eyebrows, impressed, and then turned to Claire, who continued. "I died on September 11th, 2001 amidst a terrible tragedy. The reason I died was because I was caught on a stairwell." I stared at Claire, who had a far-off look in her eyes. "I tried to save a woman – a grandmother – and a man – a husband and expectant father." She smiled sadly and shook her head. "They never made it out, and nor did I."

I wiped a pearly tear away from my eye. I hated crying. I always did. To me, it was a sign of vulnerability, of weakness. I was always the tough New Yorker – around my friends, my family, and my colleagues. It was a façade though. I was a soft person at heart. But the reason for that façade was simple – I was terrified to let everyone see the _real _Aiden Burn. After all, if you were a cop, you had to be tough all the time, right?

"You don't have to be so tough all the time though, Aiden," Claire said gently. I snapped my head up and wiped a few escaped tears out of my eyes.

"I, uh, had somethin' in my…"

Claire shook her head and put a hand on the side of my face. "You can not pretend up here, Aiden. You can't fool The Father. He knows that you hurt sometimes. He knows that you try to act tough and hard. But that is only to conceal your true personality." Claire moved her hand to my heart. "You have a wonderful heart, Aiden. And you died in attempt to save someone. You _are_ a hero, no matter what you may think."

Gabriella smiled. "We all made mistakes in life, Aiden, and we were certainly not perfect on earth." I turned to face the blonde. "But up here, that matters not. What matters is the courage that you showed in the face of death. You may have made mistakes, and you may have been cold on earth sometimes, but Our Father…He knows that you have a heart of gold."

I sniffed and turned to face Claire again. The beautiful woman's smile lit up her face. "And you will never be separated from those you love," she promised. Tugging at my hand, she pulled me into the center of her house where a shimmering pool of water lay. It was a beautiful little pond, shrouded by vibrant flowers and colorful plants. She knelt down next to the pool, as Gabriella and I followed. Claire stared into the pool reverently for a moment, and I frowned. What was she doing? Did she expect something to happen? Because –

I gasped.

I saw, quite clearly in the pool, the New York City Crime Lab, bustling about. And in one room, I saw Sheldon Hawkes performing a FastScan on what – I knew in my heart to be – _my _face. Claire looked up momentarily to gauge my reaction.

"What is this?" I whispered hoarsely. Hawkes' face was determined, and Claire's was one of sympathy.

"This is the present," she replied softly. I watched Hawkes' face grow from one of determination into startled devastation. Mac arrives in the lab and Hawkes reports the grave news to him – the charred remains were that of Aiden Burn. Stella stares with sheer terror and sorrow on her face, while Mac attempts to maintain his composure. Danny stares at the FastScan sketch and blinks back tears, before bowing his head and walking out of the room.

"My poor boy," echoes a voice. The three women turn around to find another woman perched on the edge of Claire's couch. Claire rises with a smile, as does Gabriella, and they hurry over to embrace the woman.

"Sally, my dear, how have you been?" Gabriella asks with a flitter of happiness. The woman named Sally smiles and twirls a strand of brunette hair around her finger.

"I've been quite alright. It's good to be back up here, though, I must admit. That dreadful New York smog had begun to get to me, I fear," Sally replied with a pleasant, yet serious air to her voice.

"You've been to New York?" I asked, puzzled. "I thought that we all had to stay up here."

Gabriella, Claire, and Sally shared a look. "Well, darling," Sally began diplomatically, "haven't these lovely young women explained the procedures to you?"

I shook my head and Sally gave Claire and Gabriella a light smack on the shoulders. "Ladies!" she exclaimed with a laugh in her voice. "I can not believe you haven't told her…her of _all _people…"

I frowned and raised my hand. "Hello," I replied with a twinge of sarcasm. "I'm a little bit confused over here!"

Sally led me over towards the couch and we all sat down. "Well, Aiden, I think that you and I are going to be spending a lot of time together as of late." She smiled, blue eyes twinkling with joy. "You see, I am not just an ordinary angel. Once you have proven yourself to The Lord, He may grant you the option of becoming a guardian angel."

My eyes widened. "Really?"

Claire and Gabriella nodded. "Yes," spoke Claire lightly. "I was assigned to…Mac," she replied with a whisper and a solemn look from behind her beautiful eyes.

Gabriella nodded. "I was assigned to Elizabeth, a little orphan in southern California. She seems like such a sweet little girl."

"So, as you can see," Sally continued with a conversational wave of her hand, "many of the angels up here, when The Lord chooses to promote them, become guardians over people on earth."

"Oh," I replied simply. To tell you the truth, I was still quite puzzled over what I had seen in Claire's pool.

"And you, dear Aiden, have just received an official word from The Lord," Sally said with a beaming smile. I stared at the woman, who had risen quite abruptly from the couch in order to pick up a creamy white envelope on the floor. She handed me the envelope and I stared at it for a moment, before the three pairs of eyes urged me to open it.

"_Dear Aiden_," I read aloud, "_you have been hereby chosen to become the sole guardian and protector of a human on earth. It will be your duty to watch over them, to see that no harm comes to them, and to also comfort them in their hour of greatest need. The woman you are to become guardian over, if you prove worthy to uphold this task, is a woman by the name of Lindsay Monroe, who resides in New York City._"

Sally clapped her hands together and rose from the couch. "Oh, I just _knew_ that I would be working with you!" she exclaimed, bouncing lightly on her toes. The other women on the couch beamed.

"It looks like I might be seeing some more of you, Aiden," Claire replied with a genuine smile. I shook my head, trying to make sense of the letter.

"Wait…I need a minute…Lindsay Monroe?" I asked, staring at the name in hopes of some light bulb to click. "Why does that name sound familiar?"

Sally, though she was petite, grabbed my hand and dragged me over towards the shimmering pool. We stared into its depths for a moment before a scene played before my eyes. They – my team – were at a bar, Sullivan's, more than likely – and they were toasting. There was one woman whom I didn't recognize and my head snapped up immediately.

"Lindsay Monroe," I began, staring at Sally for some confirmation, "does she have a nickname?"

Sally nodded her head enthusiastically and pointed at the pool to the figure of Danny Messer. "Yes, my boy nicknamed her 'Montana'."

I blinked repeatedly, and watched Danny clink his glass with Lindsay's. "_That_'_s _his Montana…" I replied with a sudden wave of realization. So _that _was the Lindsay that Danny was going to tell me all about over dinner. He had mentioned her before – he said that she was quite reserved and easy to tease, at first.

Sally sighed. "Oh, but how she grew on him," she said with a wistful tone. I stared at the woman.

"Yeah, Danny was gonna tell me all about her over dinner, but I…"

"…died?" Gabriella offered. I shot her a look and she shrugged her shoulders innocently.

"He does seem so fond of her," Claire replied with a grin. "I've watched them from time to time, you know, down at the lab. He does seem to really have a…thing for her."

I smiled. "Yeah, Messer told me what happened when he first met her at that tiger cage. Tellin' her to call Mac 'sir'…"

"Mac always hated that," Claire added with a laugh. I stared at my hands for a moment, before continuing.

"He told me later on that the reason he picked on her was because he was upset that she was my replacement. Told me that no one in the world could ever replace me in the lab."

Sally put a hand on my shoulder. "Danny, my poor thing, has been through a lot. He's had to deal with this whole Louie situation and now he has to deal with your death too," she replied seriously. I watched the woman's blue eyes fix once more on the pool. "But, Aiden, I think that Lindsay is going to help him through this. He cares about her like he's cared about no one else before, and it shows through his eyes…" The woman paused. "…and in his heart."

I watched Danny tell the team stories of me, about how I would pick on him, and claim that I was 'Outta his league."

"I still am outta your league, Messer," I replied with a smile. Claire and Sally laughed. Gabriella knelt beside us by the pool and stared at the team for a moment, before fixing her shimmering eyes on us.

"You know, Aiden, I think that you will be a wonderful guardian angel," she replied. I smiled at the woman and Sally placed a hand on my shoulder.

"Danny and Lindsay both don't need us to help them along through life," she said with a reverent glance at the pair. "We will do our best to help protect them and keep them safe."

She paused for a beat before continuing. "What they need most right now," she said softly, "is each other."

I laughed slightly to myself and the other women looked at me curiously. "Messer," I explained, "never thought that he would ever fall in love. He's not that type of guy, ya know?" I shook my head and continued smiling. "But this girl, this Montana of his, might change all of that."

Sally rose and took my hand to help me up. "I think she already has."

I smiled at the women in the room before Sally led me out of the house. We stepped out into the brilliantly lit streets and she and I walked down a pathway. With confusion, I suddenly realized that we were no longer in Heaven, but instead were in the dark streets of New York City.

"A few days has passed, Aiden, just to let you know," the petite woman mentioned. I stared at a cemetery and noticed a woman, dressed in a long coat, standing over a grave, with beautiful flowers clutched in her hand.

"I think I'll let you have a moment," Sally replied, stopping where she was. With a gentle push, she urged me forward towards the woman. I walked slowly, deliberately, and stood a foot or so away from the woman.

"I'm sorry that I never got a chance to know you, Aiden," the woman replied. I turned my head to such an angle that I could see her face. There were tears running down her cheeks and she wiped them away hurriedly. "But, I know you were an amazing woman, and an amazing CSI too." She sniffed and I felt hot tears slide down my cheeks as well. "I didn't want to be your replacement, simply because no one could ever fill your shoes at the lab. They all love you so much," she said with a sad whisper. "And they miss you terribly. And I regret never meeting you. I regret that completely."

I took a step forward and placed a hand on the woman's shoulder. She didn't notice me, of course, but I am sure that she felt my presence, for she looked up slightly, and then, shaking her head, returned her focus on the tombstone. She placed the flowers on the grave and, with one last bow of her head, walked away.

I watched the woman go, realizing that I had my regrets in life too.

I regret that I never met her, face-to-face.

"We cannot change what was," Sally said, leading me away from the cemetery, "but we can change what is."

I nodded at the angel. No truer words had ever been spoken.

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**So, what did you think? Did you like? I sure hope so. Please, please review! Thanks!**


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